Eternal Bond - Standard Plan and Gold Plan

Since all the "shut up and take my money" players started to throw their money at $E, this is how $E been developing new content:

step 1: Develop a feature
step 2: bring it to the marketing team to see what they can remove out of it and put in cash shop
step 3: ???
step 4: profit! (for $E)

We basically paying a sub not for a full game, yay.

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Originally Posted by FireHero

Now with golden sauce I hope they do not do the same cause ...

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Sorry, but I literally had to laugh out loud when I read this part of your post. How do you think any of this cash shop stuff happens? There's always people defending something, saying it's no big deal, just like you did here. Then they take another step, and there'll be people saying it's no big deal. Then another step and another - and there'll always be people saying no big deal, no big deal, because they don't see where everything is going. Don't get your hopes up that Golden Saucer will be unrelated to Cash Shop after opening the doors for them like this.


SE announce Cash Shop.
Person A: "What? We're already paying monthly, Cash Shop on top is double-dipping!"
Person B: "It's no big deal, just minions and mounts, it's just optional items I don't care about."

SE announce Standard vs. Gold Eternal Bond.
Person B: "What? Minions and mounts were fine, but I actually cared about Eternal Bond and the Chocobo you promised us, why do I have to pay extra for it now?"
Person C: "Stop whining, nobody is forcing you to pay it, businesses have to make money somehow."

SE announce Gold Saucer details.
Person C: "WTF why can't we enjoy the Gold Saucer in its entirety without paying extra? You've been teasing us with this feature for months, I've been looking forward to it forever!"
Person D: "LOL who cares, it doesn't affect gameplay anyway, just stupid minigames and fluff. I support SE getting all the money they can to keep developing this awesome game!"

SE announce Premium Raids.
Person D: "Oh god, you're allowing people to circumvent the weekly lockout of the high end raid for cash? How can you do this?"
Person E: "Boohoo, stop complaining, you pay more you get more, SE has to make money somehow."


They can do ANYTHING as long as there are enough people left to support it and pay for it.

They always wait until the last few days before revealing details like this, and then they go fully silent about it while people complain on the forums, we didn't know about the cash shop until like, was it a week before 2.4?

I see the inevitable F2P transition that every average WoW clone goes through is still well in effect. Can't wait for premium housing wards, premium Golden Saucer tickets, premium Triple Triad booster packs, premium airships, premium GC squad companions, premium FC alliances, premium FC primal summons, etc.

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Originally Posted by Roris

I see the inevitable F2P transition that every average WoW clone goes through is still well in effect. Can't wait for premium housing wards, premium Golden Saucer tickets, premium Triple Triad booster packs, premium airships, premium GC squad companions, premium FC alliances, premium FC primal summons, etc.

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What I'll find most hilarious of all is if this game really does go f2p, after all Yoshi's words about how he'd rather shut the entire game down than ever let it go f2p. I can only hope it doesn't go f2p, but this new trend of gating stuff behind cash shop and extra money doesn't bode well for the future, and is looking suspiciously like a f2p safety net.

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Originally Posted by Riepah

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I just want to note that it all started with the extra retainers. Otherwise, yes, that's exactly was has been happening. Some of us complaining about the double-dipping changes that have been happening and some other people defending and supporting SE (when it harms them too, but whatever).

And it will keep happening, from the looks of it.

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Originally Posted by Yshnal

I just want to note that it all started with the extra retainers. Otherwise, yes, that's exactly was has been happening. Some of us complaining about the double-dipping changes that have been happening and some other people defending and supporting SE (when it harms them too, but whatever).

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True, I forgot about those. I already opposed them back in the day, but you are completely correct, THAT was the start, not the cash shop itself.

not buying any of this flimsy slippery slope stuff. this is vanity stuff, like everything else in the cash shop.

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Originally Posted by Roris

I see the inevitable F2P transition that every average WoW clone goes through is still well in effect. Can't wait for premium housing wards, premium Golden Saucer tickets, premium Triple Triad booster packs, premium airships, premium GC squad companions, premium FC alliances, premium FC primal summons, etc.

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You know what's the saddest thing? They probably implement all of that without going F2P, keeping that nasty double dipping practice.

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Originally Posted by jars

not buying any of this flimsy slippery slope stuff. this is vanity stuff, like everything else in the cash shop.

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Yeah, it comes off as miserly players complaining about a staff run vanity event because they want the event's rewards without paying.

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Originally Posted by Ultimatecalibur

Yeah, it comes off as miserly players complaining about a staff run vanity event because they want the event's rewards without paying.

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It's not staff run though, it's all automated, just need to reserve the instance and the quest in advance but no GMs are involved.

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Originally Posted by Ultimatecalibur

Yeah, it comes off as miserly players complaining about a staff run vanity event because they want the event's rewards without paying.

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But we are paying, and it's not a staff run event.

I really question why it's so hard for SE to make fluff content simple and enjoyable and doable by everyone. Housing, glamour, and now weddings - all made far more complicated (and in wedding's case, made far more expensive) than necessary.

SE, if your team can't figure out how to do fluff content in a way which isn't overly complicated and/or expensive for a vast majority of your playerbase, please for the love of god hire some people who can.

I'm taking the Realist approach by saying;
I feel like SE is doing this to make sure people take the Bonding-system seriously and not force those who really want it to wait while hundreds of other players do it "just for a mount". Also like Raiding, I do believe they should create other outlets for people who just want the mount. I think that would solve the problem.

It seems like all SE-White Knights trust in everything SE does and all the Chicken Littles scream "The sky is falling" every time they put something in the cash shop.

I am not interested in the marriage. But I am really disappointed with the microtransactions. If this was F2P i wouldnt care. But its not and if people are buying the gold ceremony they will keep up with the cashshop and it wouldnt surprise me if they are adding P2W stuff later. Remove the subscription or remove the cash shop

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Originally Posted by Kiara1

Remove the subscription or remove the cash shop

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^^^^^^ this!

"One day a countryman going to the nest of his Goose found there an egg all yellow and glittering. When he took it up it was as heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away, because he thought a trick had been played upon him. But he took it home on second thoughts, and soon found to his delight that it was an egg of pure gold. Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon became rich by selling his eggs. As he grew rich he grew greedy; and thinking to get at once all the gold the Goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find nothing."

Unbelievable. Remove the monthly fee or remove the cash shop! !!!

Ultimately the reason they probably pursued this route is to discourage people from getting married solely to access the glamor gear/mounts intended to serve a special purpose. Otherwise you'd have 20 Party Finders up "Looking for marriage partner, let's get mounts", I doubt that's what SE wants.

it was easy to make it with a huge wait time action (like you can do it only one time every 2-3 month) and you loose the chocobo when you get divorced.... i don't see why the people wanting to use the system normally must be punish!

and it don't change the fact that it's not different than a micro transaction or a dlc into a mmorpg... we can't allows this to continue!

I'm content with it. You're given an option.

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Originally Posted by Prototype909

Ultimately the reason they probably pursued this route is to discourage people from getting married solely to access the glamor gear/mounts intended to serve a special purpose. Otherwise you'd have 20 Party Finders up "Looking for marriage partner, let's get mounts", I doubt that's what SE wants.

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Then come up with a gameplay related way to gate the inevitable flood of weddings to come. I'm sorry but no mountain of excuses or lip service will change the way I feel about this current development. It's like they don't even want players to play the game, instead just scan their credit card each time a new update comes out and continue the cycle of logging in once a week to cap weekly tokens.

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Originally Posted by Arwen

I'm content with it. You're given an option.

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it's not an option, it's a scam!
if, and i say if, the game had difficulty... but that not the case, the community into the game is still growing. the company have trouble, not because of FF14, but because of them poor decision to still rely on game on console like FF15 that have cost them tons of cash. how many triple A did really work recently? not that much... worst, the director of FF15 admit that console gaming in japan is slowly dying and that people prefer mobile and ios game.

i really wonder how many cash earn from FF14 is used outside... because when i see this and some comment like change the server for increase them capacity is the last resort option i feel something is really wrong with the game recently!

http://i.imgur.com/E7NINc1.jpg

Winter is coming :s

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Originally Posted by Prototype909

Ultimately the reason they probably pursued this route is to discourage people from getting married solely to access the glamor gear/mounts intended to serve a special purpose. Otherwise you'd have 20 Party Finders up "Looking for marriage partner, let's get mounts", I doubt that's what SE wants.

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...do you really think moving the extras behind a cash-gate is gonna prevent that from happening? Only difference is, the PFs will look like "Looking for marriage partner, let's split the costs!" Had SE actually wanted to just prevent that - why give out any extras with Eternal Bond to begin with? The ceremony and what it represents should be the reward on its own.

(copied from another thread but still applies)SO let me get this forum straight...

The ceremony, arguably the reason why anyone would care to get married in a "virtual" game in the first place, is free... (unlike real life; which is fine since this is a game)

The extras, which make the ceremony more flashy, glitzy, etc., cost a one time fee for a minion, mount and clothes and hair (which people always jokingly say "I would pay money for that" whenever its shown in screenshots)(in addition to the fact that if anyone has a two person mount they probably paid money for it in the form of another copy of the game and the sub) and that is the tipping point for 'net rage.

I just came off of a crazy black friday (crazy for me because i bought a wii u and i usually dont buy much) spree where I was thinking of buying a ton of Nintendo Amibos for Smash because of a buy-one-get-one 40% off deal. One thing stood out to me. If you (general "everyone" you) really want something, you can find the funds for it.

This is hardly SE being greedy. The name of the game for any successful business in today's world is "Diversification". SE is trying to create an eco system where can produce more income. If you were running a wedding chapel I have no doubt in my mind that you would different tiers of packages offered.

Now i hear you say, "But...subscription. I payz it" but the way I see it is similar to Xbox Live, PS Plus, Amazon Prime, Spotify, and dozens other sub services: Your sub gets you in, and a basic service, anything extra is presented to you as an Option and you have the freedom to walk away (or in this case, take the free wedding, since being married is all you care about in the end).

In real life, I hear couples all the time saying "I just want to be married, I dont care about all the frills". I mean the big debate before was "Can I marry the same gender" now it seems like since that battle is won the next step is "Now i want the prettiest wedding ever but it should be given to me."

Because at the end of it all, or the day after your in-game ceremony, most of the people looking forward to marriage just want to be married. Fin.

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Originally Posted by BreathlessTao

...do you really think this ain't gonna happen anyway? Only difference is, the PFs will look like "Looking for marriage partner, let's split the costs!"

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And yet the goal of making it more exclusive will still have succeeded.

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Originally Posted by Prototype909

Ultimately the reason they probably pursued this route is to discourage people from getting married solely to access the glamor gear/mounts intended to serve a special purpose. Otherwise you'd have 20 Party Finders up "Looking for marriage partner, let's get mounts", I doubt that's what SE wants.

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I highly doubt this is a reason. Why should SE bother to big brother this when Party Finders are full of Free Companies with houses and Clear Runs for sale? The cash shop, is, unfortunately here to stay, as there will always be those people who will buy anything a game has to offer.

The only thing I want to know is if we will see less "server load" responses/excuses in the future. I am hoping that all this extra income can provide something useful to the game for "everyone". Tired of seeing my yard half empty or an inventory tab full of fishing tackle because of that lame ass excuse. Gold Saucer remains to be seen. I will have to forego anything related to cash shop, if that happens, and re-evaluate my sub at that time.

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Originally Posted by Xairos

Now i hear you say, "But...subscription. I payz it" but the way I see it is similar to Xbox Live, PS Plus, Amazon Prime, Spotify, and dozens other sub services: Your sub gets you in, and a basic service, anything extra is presented to you as an Option and you have the freedom to walk away (or in this case, take the free wedding, since being married is all you care about in the end).

Because at the end of it all, or the day after your in-game ceremony, most of the people looking forward to marriage just want to be married. Fin.

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Yes. Optional service.

indeed we can find fund, the trouble is not there, today you say ok, ok... and after they continue on this and decide to make part of the game cost irl cash for get acces like some sort of dlc, because that the case here. it's like if they had say, ok you can get more land for house, but you must pay irl cash for it.

what it will be next?
- you can't get new card for the triple triad if you don't play the ios game and pay a fee for play it.
- you can't get a black flying chocobo, if you don't pay more.

no it's a time where we must stand firm and say... no more micro transaction into the game! no more content gated behind the shop! we can't allows them to continue on this way! generally, i'm against the petition, but i feel this time, we must maybe rely on it and make us heard by them!

it's the trouble that we don't have the option to do it into the game for "free", but that it's exist an option for get better with irl cash, when we already pay a sub!
more bad, this content (the chocobo included) was announced for age! and suddenly, because they get some cash from them shop because of sleipnir mount, they decide to get greedy!

it's simple, NO MORE!

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Originally Posted by silentwindfr

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Thing is, theoretically, we pay more anyway. I mean I can technically say that "in order to play DRK, you have to pay $45" (because the expansion). I'd be right. Is it bleak, yeah it is, but it's true.

As for the card game you are probably correct that they might charge for additional packs. I see it like this, they can create a team to develop the card game by pulling people away from other full-time projects and the card game can be present but kinda half-way done. Or they can create a team to do it full time, require that the team's pay come from the cash shop and the game might have more depth and feel like it has more of a soul.

My wallet prefers the former, free, option. But my sense of playing games for fun would rather have the more developed option.

i'm like you, don't get me wrong i'm the first one to support a game by buying a dlc when it worth it. but there it's at the same point than the DLC of FF13-2. when people was forced to buy a dlc for get the ending of the game... they are not worth it, i found it bad... because, well we already paying a sub! they need to stop to use FF14 money for them other project!

them society was really in bad shape before ARR come out, it's not too much to say that SE was saved by the game, but the game now is in bad shape on many point. but the most critical are the server charge that seems to be unable to support the game efficiently... Yoshida was asked if they plan to change them and him answer did scare me... it will be them last resort to change the server for increase the charge!

a lot of content are affected by this... like the servant system, the fact that we can't get a lure box for the fishing (one more time said in this live letter), the number of furniture per house,....
but no, this trouble is not important, even when they admit themself that it affect the devellopement of new content of game! however, they find logical to make us pay an additional fee for cosmetic into the game. it's worrying when you look at all the thing said and done for the past year and you look at what they said for the eternal bonding!

something is not right! like i have said i'm the first one to pay for support a game... but this time, the game have done nothing that worth this sort of support.

What is with this stuff and the Black Knights coming in and playing Doomsayer AGAIN?

Is the 2 seated mount gamebreaking? No it's not.
Is it convenient? Yes it is.
Does it suck they only give you one color dye outfit for your bride and groom clothing? Yes.
Is it gamebreaking? No it's not.

I swear people will complain about ANYTHING that involves real money without even botherig to even THINK.
This what gets me about the Black Knights, they BELIEVE they are making legit points...when they are the furthest away from it. The cash shop WOULD be a point if people didn't ask for easier ways to get Fantasias 2 extra Retainers. The Slepnir mount being sellable WOULD be a point if it was just plain better than any other mount in the game...it's not. The minions WOULD be a point if they was any different...they aren't, just buy one for $5 if you want it that badly.

This wedding is absolutely no different. They want to make sure that the Eternal Bond...is OBVIOUSLY ETERNAL, so they added a money option to make certain that people are serious from the getgo, y'know, like real fanciful weddings?

"But we pay subscriptionz" You pay to play the game, that's it. I hope you guys FINALLY get that memo because that's why more and more people gravitate towards F2P anyways. There are plenty of problems in this game, this is seriously not one of them, but watch the doomsayers say how wrong I am on it and blah blah blah.

It's frightening how many people don't think paying is a problem <_< no wonder EA and Activision are where they are now. SE are just going to follow suit and soon we'll have a nice plethora of content we can't access because we didn't pay on top of our subs.

Just registered on these forums to say this is awful :mad:
I already pay every month! if things are going to cost money in-game, I should just unsubscribe and play something else!
P2P or F2P. SE, you can't have your cake AND eat it.

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Originally Posted by Xhominid

This wedding is absolutely no different. They want to make sure that the Eternal Bond...is OBVIOUSLY ETERNAL, so they added a money option to make certain that people are serious from the getgo, y'know, like real fanciful weddings?

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You talk about people not thinking and then come out and spout something stupid like this. This isn't why they added it.

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Originally Posted by Yahavage

It's frightening how many people don't think paying is a problem <_< no wonder EA and Activision are where they are now. SE are just going to follow suit and soon we'll have a nice plethora of content we can't access because we didn't pay on top of our subs.

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If you don't like it then unsubscribe, Square Enix doesn't care about 100 angry posts on the forums as long as the people complaining are still paying their sub fee. Other people are buying these Cash Shop produces and services - that is a fact. Being "Complacently against" this practice (Stating you're against it but still giving SE your money by paying for the game every month) just tells them that even if you're angry you're not angry enough to stop playing, ie they can keep doing what they're doing. They have no incentive to stop until their bottom line takes a hit.

So by all means keep complaining on the forums, maybe you'll get an apology from Yoshi-P to appease you, but ultimately nothing is going to change until people stop posturing and actually take action over this.

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Originally Posted by MomomiMomi

You talk about people not thinking and then come out and spout something stupid like this. This isn't why they added it.

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So what's the reason? More money like a company will typically aim for? Funny how you don't say the reason outright yet tell me I spouted something stupid.

You have a free and you have a paid version, either nut up and get serious with someone REAL FAST, or shut it up and go for the free version or like me, don't bother with the weddings period.
This is just needless whining for the sake of it.

Not sure if this is wide-spread knowledge, but this appears to be the mount in question, if anyone wanted to see what it was that you won't be able to get.

http://i.imgur.com/NyQUA3B.png

Unless they've already released images of it, I figure we may as well kill the hype now. That's it. That's the bird.

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Originally Posted by Selkie

Not sure if this is wide-spread knowledge, but this appears to be the mount in question, if anyone wanted to see what it was that you won't be able to get.

http://i.imgur.com/NyQUA3B.png

Unless they've already released images of it, I figure we may as well kill the hype now. That's it. That's the bird.

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Looks gorgous! :D